LA probation officials suspend billing program

LOS ANGELES 
The county's Probation Department suspended billing for more than 100,000 former probationers after the public defender challenged the legality of many of the bills.

County officials on Friday had planned to start intercepting tax returns of probationers, some of whom hadn't paid their bills for court fees, restitution and the cost of supervision as far back as 14 years. The debts range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, officials said.

Late last year, probation officials mailed letters to 186,000 current and former probationers that threatened to take away their state tax returns if they did not pay within a month.

Public Defender Michael P. Judge wrote a letter to probation officials on Wednesday, saying he believed former probationers who had already paid in full or had their debts waived by a judge had been mistakenly billed. Those bills contained no breakdown of the charges, Judge said.

"One would wonder what attempt has been made to verify that such obligations actually exist before a demand for payment has been sent," Judge said.

Robert Taylor, who heads the Probation Department, said his agency will work with his counterparts in the public defender's office but will continue to bill those currently on probation.

"We have a responsibility to the court to try to recover costs for all the services we provide," Taylor said.

It's the second time in a month that probation officials have decided not to bill people. Taylor called a moratorium on billing the parents and guardians of children held in juvenile camps and halls after questions were raised about who was being charged.